The (kind-of) smocked top

Ok. It's really pleated- but doesn't it look smocked? It started out as my experiment into smocking and though I did that correctly, I think (by hand, no pleater) it just didn't look right. So I tried this. I am working with a rectangle of fabric (dimensions are 17"length x 14 1/2" width) First, I finished the top edge by folding over twice and machine hemming with a small hem. Ok, then the pleating begins- it's good to use either a stripe or a check for this to keep pleating regular. You can see from the pics that I didn't baste, I just pinned and then ran it through the machine. I started about 1" from the finished edge at the top and made my first pleat about 1 1/2" from the edge. The pleat itself was about 1/2" wide, but I didn't measure that, I just used the lines of the fabric- established a pattern and followed it. I pinned it and made sure I liked the fullness of the pleats, then tacked it down using a standard stitch on the machine. For the next line of pleats, I came down another inch, but chose a different line to start the pleating on ( a line in the center of the first row of pleats.) This is what causes the even rows of puckers in the top. for the third and final row, I followed the same pattern as the top row. I tried not to make the pleats too close to the edges of the fabric in order to allow myself a seam allowance to sew the panel into the top. Then I hunted for a princess seamed pattern that I could fit the panel into, then I lengthened the torso. I used New Look 6268, but that's a few years old by now. Just find a pattern that has princess seams. The next posting will tell how to finish the top.

Organizing thread

The people who know me and have seen my basement and my "dining room" table constantly covered by 12 different sewing projects will laugh and laugh when they see me try to give tips about organizing sewing supplies, but here goes: My mom and I made this board that holds all my threads. We hammered in a bunch of nails on a board - all about 1 1/2 inches apart. Now they can be arranged by color and I can see what I have. I often inherit someone's grandma's stash of sewing notions, because they don't know what to do with sewing supplies. (I didn't actually buy twenty spools of mint green, pink and turquoise but I'll know where to find it when I need it.)

Elasticized neckline and McCall's 5634

Oh, I like elasticized casings as a design feature. I hope to do a dress with an elasticized neckline and waist and will probably alter this pattern. I will share this with you dear readers once I get that worked out. So here is my version of this pattern in a length somewhere between the short and long version offered in the pattern. I used a rayon embroidered linen.

Give it a whirl

So my idea is to share apparel sewing techniques and tutorials for sewers beginning and expert. I will start with a simple project using a commercial pattern that is easy to get your hands on. In the future, I will start working with vintage patterns and showing you how to alter existing patterns to do what you might like. I also hope to show you some techniques for fabric decoration and design and to be a lookbook for beautiful garments.